Factors affecting farmers’ decision to participate in various agricultural related information sources in Ethiopia

Abstract

Information communication technology is energetic for rural transformation and plays a great role in agricultural development. However, there are factors affecting farmers’ use of information. This study focused on determinants of various agricultural information sources. Household survey from 165 respondents and multi-stage sampling techniques were used. Multivariate probit model regression output shows that social participation and distance are significantly related with the use of all information sources at different significance levels. Age, extension contact, education, sex, credit access, land size, non/off-farm income and farm income are significant with the use of different information sources at different significance levels. The Wald test (χ2 (56) = 101.39, p = 0.000) is significant, which indicates that MVP model fits the data. LR (χ2 (6) = 232.942, Prob > χ2 = 0.0000) indicates the goodness of fit of the model. For more use of agriculture-related information, Ministry of Agriculture and NGOs need to intervene in rural agricultural programs.

Keywords:

• Information sources
• agriculture
• Multivariate probit model
• Ethiopia

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Wolaita Sodo University for inspiring the researcher in doing this research work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author received no fund for this research work.

Notes on contributors

Berhanu Daniso

Berhanu Daniso was born on October 1993 in Mirab Badawacho Woreda, Hadiya Zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. He joined Jimma University in 2012 and graduated with Bachelor of Science Degree in Rural Development and Agricultural Extension in July 2014. After his graduation, he was employed at Mirab Badawacho Woreda Agricultural Development Office at Extension agent and coordinator position in 2015 and served for 2 years until he began postgraduate study at Jimma University. He graduated with his M.Sc. degree in Agricultural Communication and Innovation in 2018. He has been employed at lecturing position at Wolaita Sodo Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges for 8 months. Currently, he is a lecturer at Wolaita Sodo University. Development, rural innovation, gender, climate change, communication for innovation and sustainable livelihood analysis are the author’s interest areas of research.